Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-02-18

the least impairment OF physical or mental con-
dit1on. If It had been intended to embrace only
those who By disease or injury We're
TOTALLY UNABLE TO LABOR,
It would have been very easy to express that
instead Of recognizing, as is done. degree" Of
such inability. What is . snpport-who Is to
determine whether man earns it or has it or
has it not? Is the government to enter the
home of claimants for pension and, after an ex-
stances, settle these questions? Shall the gov
eminent say to man that his manner OF
subsistence by his earnings is q support and to
support? Any attempt, however honest, to
administer this would necessarily produce more
unfairness and unjust discrimination and give
result In more pervers1on, OF the govern
ment's benevolent Intentions, than the
execution Of any statute ought to permit. II, In
the effort to carry out the proposed law, the de-
gree of disability as related to earnings be con-
sidered for the purpose Of discovering II in any
way it curtails the support which the applicant
II entirely sound would earn and to which he IL
entitled we enter the broad field long occupied
by the pension bureau and We recoRnize as the
only difference between the proposed legislation
and previous laws passed for the benefit Of the
renee in one case of disability in military SER
vice, and in the other disabilities existing but in
no way connected with resulting from such
service. 1t must be borne in mind that In no
| case is there any grading of this proposed pen
sion. Under the operation Of the rule first sug-
great or snail Of the abiltY S to es earn
such support as the government determines
the claimant should have. and by the applica-
| reduction In any degree of the support which he
might earn If sound, he is entitled to pension
OF $12 per month In the latter case, and under
the proviso Of the proposed bill permitting per-
sons now receiving pensions to be admitted TO
the benefits OF the act, do not see how those
now on the pension rolls for disabilities incurred
IN the service and which diminish the earning
this bill OF course none will apply who are now
receiving s. 2 or more per month; but on June
80, 1886 there were on the pension rolls 2o2.-
62l persons who were receiving fifty eight dit
ferent rates OF pension, ranging from ST. to
$ll.7o per month OF those 2S,142 were re-.
| ceivng SO per month; ll6, - per month;
37,2oA, Sc per month; and 5o274, whose disa-
bil1tles were rated as total, SO per month.
EVEN ITS ADVOCATES DIFFERED.
AS to the meaning OF the section OF the bill
under consideration, there appears to have been
q difference OF opinion among It's advocates in
congress. The chairman Of the committee ON
ported the bill, declared that there was in it no
provision for pensioning any one who has less
disability than total disability to labor: and
that 1t was charity measure The chairman Of
charge OF the bill in that body, dissented from
! the construction of the bill announced in the
only embraced all soldiers totally disabled. but
in his Judgment all VINO are disabled to any con-
| siderable extent: and such . construction was
| substantially given to the bill by another dis
tinguished senator who, as a former secretary OF
| the interior, had imposed upon him the duty Of
| executing the pension laws and determining
their intent and meaning. Another condition
required Of claimants under this act is that they
| shall be dependent upon their daily labor for
| support" This language which may be said TO
1he there % the 4Sa
! ability in some degree to work, Is more aptly
! used in q statute describing those not wholly
! with those utterly unable to work. am of the
| opinion that it may fairly be commended that
under the provisions Of this section any soldier
whose faculties of mind or body nave become
impaired by accident, disease or age, irrespective
| OF his service in the army as cause, and who
by his labor only Is incapable OF gaining the fair
| support he might with unimpalred powers have
! provided for himself. and who is so we'll en-
| dowed with this worlds goods as to live with
out work may claim to participate in tte bounty:
! that it is not required that be should be with
| ont property, but only that labor should be
| necessary to his support in some degree, nor is
| it required that he should be now receiving sup
port from others: Believing this to be the
| proper Interpretation of the bill, cannot but
| remember that the soldiers Of our civil war in
| their pay and bounty received such coinpensa-
| ton for military service rs has never been re-
celred by soldiers before since mankind first
went to war; that never before on behalf of any
| soldiers. have SO many and such generous laws
been passed to relieve them against the Incl
| dents OF VAL: that statutes have been passed
! GIVING THEM PREFERENCE
| In all public employments; that the really needy
! and homeless Union soldiers of the Rebellio n
|
soldiers homes, instituted and supported By
| the government, where they are main tanned to-
| gether. free from the sense Of degradation which
| attaches to the usual support of charity: aud
! that never before in the history Of the country
has it been proposed to render government aid
| toward the support OF any of It's soldiers based
! alone upon a military service recent, and
where age and circumstances appeared so little
to demand such aid. Hitherto such relief has been
| granted to surviving soldiers, few in Der,
venerable in age after long lapse of time since
] Nartinp
faction rendered by a grateful people. I cam
not believe that the vast peaceful army OF Union
| soldiers who, having contentedlv resumed tn cir
places in the ordinary vacations Of life hold sacred
| the memory OF patriotic SERVICE or VINO hav-
ing been disabled by the casualties Of war justly
! regard the present pension roll GA which ap
| pear their names as roll Of honor, desire
! at the time and in the present exfgency to be
| coufounded with those who, through such bill
as this are willing to be objects OF simple char
| ity and to gain place On the pension roll
! through alleged discrepancies. Recent personal
! observation and experience cons5rain NE to re-
fer to another result which will inevitably fol-
! low the approval Of the bill. It is sad, bit
| nevertheless true that already in the matter OF
procuring pensions there exists widespread
disregard OF truth and good faith stimuli 1ted by
those who, as agents, undertake to establish
| claims for pensions, heedlessly entered upon by
the expectant beneficiary, and ENCOURAGED, or at
| least not condemned, by those unwilling to OBJ
| stuuct neighbors plans In the execution Of
this proposed law, under any interpretation, a
! wide field of inquiry would be opened for the
edge Of the claimants, and there can be no doubt
that the pensions offered by this bill would not
| only stimulate weakness and pretended inca
| pacry for labor, but put a further premium on
| dishonesty and lneudaclty The effect Of new
| invitations to apply for pensions, or Of new ed
| vantaees added TO causes for pensions already
| existing, 10
SOMETIMES STARTLING.
| Thus, in March, 1879. large arrearages Of pen
sions were allowed TO be added to all kinds filed
| l.. n l. aH J..
1913 claims. though in the year Immediately
previous there were but SO s32 fled. and in the
not be set against patriotic duty the reco:-
milton OF right still, when measure proposed
is based upon generosity or motives OF charity,
| expense which it involves. Experience has
demonstrated. I believe, that all estimates COZ
cerning the probable future cost Of a pension
fall fer below actual realization. The chairman
OF the hons committee on pensions calculates
that, the number Of pensioners under this bill
81, 7s7. 100. This is upon the theory that
only those who are entirely unable to
work wonld be its benehciaries; Such was
s prns % ., ISIS n much dsssy
Stated. it seems to ME, than in this When the
| law of 1918 was upon its passage In congress
by was thought to be 374. but the number Of
! appi lcations under the act was %, 297, and the
number OF pensions actually allowed 2o.4s5,
costing. IL IS IepOrteo, 1Or Inc nrst year III,
| 847.90D instead OF $4,000. The estimated ex-
pense for that period. A law was passed in
| 1858 FOR the benefit OF the surviving widows Of
Revolutionary soldiers who were married after
! Jan. /. 1900. It was estimated that they num-
bered 800 at the time of the passage of the act,
but the number of pensions allowed was 3,74l
| and the amount paid for such pensions during
| the first year OF the operation OF the act was
$3.50. 600 instead OF 24,OoO, had been esu-
| mated. have made no search for other Illus
trations- and the above being at hand
| are. given as tending to show that esti-
II none should tie pensioned under this bill, ex-
| cept those utterly unable to work, am salts
fled that the cost stated in the estimate referred